


Paperwork

by AzulNightmare



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:01:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22226068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzulNightmare/pseuds/AzulNightmare
Summary: “Make sure you finish that paperwork Rhysie, or else your new office will be closer to the airlock than you’ll like.”
Kudos: 7





	Paperwork

It was late in the night, a faint hum settling over the space station as the workers of Helios rested for the next day.

Rhys was still awake, bags under his eyes from weeks with no sleep and struggling with the amount of paperwork left on his desk. 

_“Make sure you finish that paperwork Rhysie, or else your new office will be closer to the airlock than you’ll like.”_

His boss or the CEO of Hyperion rather, Handsome Jack, was a twisted man. If the number of people Jack ‘fired’ per day was put into a four hundred and twenty page long book, it would need a sequel just to be complete. Rhys used to look up to the man, he always heard whispers of Jack’s rough beginnings and how he fought to have Hyperion when he started out at the company. When the day Rhys became Jack’s P.A. came it was not as glory filled as Rhys expected, it actually started with Jack insulting his outfit and demanding Rhys to bring him coffee. After Rhys ran a marathon to the coffee shop in the Hub of Heroism and back to the elevator he was panting, working as a code monkey was a sitting job and Rhys was more out of shape than he liked to admit. 

When Rhys handed Jack his coffee his new boss sipped it, frowned, and proceeded to spit it onto Rhys himself. Rhys didn’t know how to react, he stood there like a fish with his mouth opening and closing as hot coffee burned and stained his jacket. Jack ranted as he stood up and yelled he didn’t want any cheap shit, naming a different coffee shop that was way above Rhys’ pay grade and threatening Rhys with drowning him in shitty coffee if he messed up again. 

A month of working with Jack passed and Rhys no longer felt honored to be working with the man anymore, the money wasn’t bad and he did gain some respect for lasting as long as he did being Jack’s P.A. but he stuck to keeping his distance when he could from Jack. The CEO was dangerous, a psychopath on a bad day and a dictator on any other. If he wanted to keep his job and his life Rhys had to keep up, be professional, and make Jack somewhat happy.

But as Rhys stared down at the blur of words on a report from a Pandora outpost his eyelids fluttered, sleep threatening to overcome him and frustration bloomed inside his chest. What would Jack do if he didn’t finish? Would he be fired, sent back to his old job and be replaced like an old lightbulb? Or would he be fired in Jack’s definition, shoved out of an airlock and into the freezing vacuum of space?

Rhys looked over his options, his sleep filled mind begging for rest and Rhys finally stood up with a sigh. Forget Jack, Rhys was tired and he didn’t care if he was replaced. It wasn’t like he even enjoyed working with Jack, the older man made fun of him and threatened him on a daily basis. Rhys walked to the elevator, punching in his floor number and leaned against the wall frowning as he went down. 

The elevator played music softly and Rhys shook his head to wake up, what was he doing? Jack could kill him for this, the paperwork wasn’t near finished even after three weeks of work and Rhys knew that Jack only had so much patience before he was done waiting. The elevator doors opened, halting Rhys’ thoughts and he walked out. The residential side of Helios took up half the space station, Rhys was placed in the middle where most of the apartments were and his buddy Vaughn lived only a few doors down. Rhys considered walking down to his friend’s apartment, but shrugged it off and headed into his own. Vaughn was probably asleep already, Rhys gave a little laugh as he thought back to Vaughn’s bedtime schedule and how his buddy pouted and shook his head at the name. Vaughn was an odd dude, he had to put his tie on before he put on his pants and he had to wear a face mask before bed. Rhys found it endearing and loved to tease his friend over it, Vaughn always turned red and huffy when Rhys poked fun at him. 

Rhys found he was standing in his living room after a few minutes, nearly falling over as he bent down to untie his shoes and he leaned against the couch for balance. His apartment wasn’t luxurious, it was bland and the only thing that was interesting was the plant in the corner. He was still manly even if said plant was covered in pretty, pink flowers and didn’t care what Vaughn said otherwise. Rhys shuffled towards his room after his shoes were off, peeling his socks off as he stumbled towards his bedroom and tossed them somewhere else. His bed called to him, promising a good night’s rest and Rhys fell into it fully clothed. His last thoughts were of the day to come tomorrow.

* * *

  
  


Piles of paperwork reached towards the ceiling, his hands were covered in paper cuts and every new paper added on to the collection of them. His boss was breathing down his neck, eyes dark and hand occupied with a gun. The worker’s eyes were merely empty sockets, reading through everything and scribbling numbers down as if he was a machine. The piles keep growing taller and the worker’s hands are reduced to a bleeding mess, staining the paperwork but he keeps going. His boss’ gun rests on the back of his head now, the chilling click of the hammer being pulled back makes the worker stop.

“Keep going,” his boss says and the worker’s hands now tremble as he sifts through paper. The piles stay the same and the worker is reduced to a hunched over mess after years.

“Keep going,” his boss says and the worker tries to move but only ends up on the floor shaking. His boss stares down at him with disgust and anger, a hard kick hitting the worker in the back.

“I said keep going,” the boss growls. The worker shakes his head, lips trying to form words but only saliva comes out. His boss sneers and the gun is trained in on his head.

“Looks like this is the end for you, what a waste.” His boss grumbles and the shot goes off.

* * *

  
  


Rhys jerks awake, his heart echoing with tremors from a nightmare. His wall stares back at him, the not-quite white paint reminding him that reality has returned. He gulps and rubs at his eyes, throat awfully dry as he swallows. It's hard to stand and prepare for the day knowing Jack awaits and that Rhys may not see his shabby apartment again. Maybe his boss will be forgiving and give a smile whilst telling Rhys he's been fired, moved back to his old tiny office where Vasquez can resume torturing him.

Rhys gets out of bed and cringes at the smell of spilled ink, the shower pleading his name in the bathroom for the odor to be removed and Rhys follows it. The water glides over his shoulders like a waterfall, hitting against the tub with loud thuds. Rhys can see Jack now, eyes twitching at the absence of his PA and fingers itching at the sight of the paperwork. Rhys gives a tired smirk at the thought and washes his arms, hissing when the water turns cold. Time to go, to abandon any thought of escape and release his mind back into the abusive cycle of death that is constantly rinsing and repeating at Hyperion.

Rhys wears his cheap clip on tie that feels akin to a noose, his white button up shirt that chokes his throat, and dress pants that scream minimum wage. Maybe he should call Vaughn, but that would be useless. The day will end in two ways and calling a friend would do nothing to change it. Rhys can only force himself to drink a glass of water to soothe his wilted throat before heading out.

As those legs of his walk to the elevators it feels like every person going the opposite direction knows his fate. Their jaded eyes sense the end of his career and his life, their noses smell the defeat pouring from his very soul. Rhys breaks out into a cold sweat and shivers climb up and down his spine as he arrives at the elevators.

_“There he goes, that boy is bound to die. Corporate ties he should’ve never created as they are like ropes holding him to_ a _railroad track. The train is screaming as it comes and he is bound to never leave until he arrives at his destination of termination.”_

Rhys flinches and looks to the stranger at his right in the elevator, but the woman merely glares at him before looking away from his twisted gaze. His lungs shutter and creak as his breaths come faster. The elevator is a confining place with the walls squeezing in with each breath he takes and suddenly his lungs wither away till dust is left to hold his oxygen. The doors open before his last breath runs out and he gulps down air as he stumbles out. The huge doors of Handsome Jack’s office stand before him as he gasps, the door handle as sharp as a dagger and he slices his hand on it as he heads inside.

* * *

  
  


“You must be punctual, there is no future and hope for you if you wish to be late. If you appear even in my vision without so much as a proper reason as to why you're late again the next time don't even bother showing up.” The boss says and the worker nods with a gaze of emptiness.

“You have files to work on along with a board presentation to prepare, don't forget to start the new plans for our latest weapon. Oh, and I expect you to stay over again. You're lunch is going to be cut shorter and this will all be due at the end of the day along with your normal work. Dismissed.”

The worker nods like the robot they are, walks to their desk without questions clouding their mind and joins the many cogs in the machine that's going nowhere.

* * *

  
  


Rhys sees Jack immediately, his presence filling the room and his hands bunched so tightly his knuckles yearn for release. Jack doesn't say anything, he doesn't have to. Rhys walks over with a will in mind and a funeral playlist set.

“Mind telling me what happened to that paperwork? Where is my hard working employee cause all I see is an idiot trying to wear their big boy pants in an attempt to seem smart. You really messed up this time kid, not finishing this last night costed us millions possibly billions.” Jack says with a disappointed frown and Rhys shrinks back as the monster in the room slowly releases its claws.

“You think this is some average office job? That since you work next to the big boss you can relax and enjoy the promotion? I'm sorry to tell you that's not how it works, you're lucky you're even here. There are other workers that would kill to have your job, what makes you better than them? What makes you deserve this? Tell me!”

Rhys opens his mouth and his voice trembles in the confines of his voice box, not even daring to set foot outside of his lips. Jack shakes his head and straightens up, his arms folded against each other to hold back any violence that his hands wish to invoke. 

“You're fired.”

And that's it, the words Rhys has been waiting for. His eyes widen and his nerves are shot. Jack looks back with a face filled with disappointment, like a father seeing a son quit baseball because it was too hard. Rhys breathes and it feels like freedom, to finally be able to get away from the crushing worry and the deadlines tormenting his sleep. A smile fills his face and Jack has the audacity to look worried.

“Thank you sir, I'll get my things and leave.” Rhys finally says and his voice comes out in a rasp. It's like his back has been straightened as he finally stands tall and his sight has finally cleared as he can see colors truly again. It doesn't take long before his junk is in a box and he has one foot out the door, but his eyes fall back to Jack as his ex-boss coughs to get his attention.

“I expect you to be off of Helios in two hours, a ship is heading for one of the Edens and it will be leaving soon.” He explains and Rhys won't let the smile fall from his face.

“It's been a pleasure, sir.”

* * *

  
  
Rhys opens his eyes, his back crying from stiffness and he blinks a couple of times to make sure he is actually awake. The paperwork sits in front of him and it appears finished. Rhys sighs as he wakes up and comes back to reality.


End file.
